IBA Insights

Orders and Activity at the 2019 Dubai Air Show

The Dubai Air Show 2019 is done and dusted, with order activity from Middle Eastern carriers Emirates and Air Arabia largely grabbing the headlines. The show saw Emirates significantly remodel their orderbook with Airbus and Boeing, removing the A330-900 (A330neo) and 787-10 amidst a repositioning towards the A350-900 and 787-9 for future growth. Six 777-300ERs and 24 777Xs were also cut, with Emirates’ president Sir Tim Clark suggesting a future order for further A350s was on the table given uncertainty surrounding the 777X programme’s entry into service (EIS).

Airbus stole the show in absolute order terms, with Emirates’ A350 top-up and Air Arabia’s 120 aircraft order for A320neos/A321neos/A321XLRs contributing over 75% of the OEMs show orders. We note EasyJet converted 12 options for A320neos, while GECAS placed orders for A321XLRs and A330neos. Boeing will take some positives from the show (although with just 42 firm orders they lagged some way behind Airbus), as SunExpress converted ten MAX options and Air Astana signed an LOI for 30 MAX 8s to be placed with its in house LCC FlyArystan.

Elsewhere at the show, de Havilland had a positive few days by signing a combination of firm orders, LOIs and MOUs for 37 DHC8-400Qs, which (assuming they will eventually be firmed up) will almost double the backlog of aircraft on order. The firm orders came from Nigeria’s Elin Group, the MOUs from the Ghanaian government and LOIs from ACIA Aero, Palma Holding and Aeroflot’s Aurora.

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